ex-directory

IPA/ˌeks dəˈrektəri/
IPA/ˌeks dəˈrektəri/

ex-directory — adjective

1. describes a phone number deliberately kept out of public directories at the subs

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a phone number deliberately kept out of public directories at the subscriber's request; directory enquiries will not give it out.

Example

Priya's home number is ex-directory, so directory enquiries won't give it out.

ex-directory + number: used before a noun for a private listing

Dr. Okonkwo gave the clinic an ex-directory mobile number for staff emergencies.

Common collocations
  • ex-directory number
  • ex-directory line
  • go ex-directory
  • remain ex-directory
  • stay ex-directory
  • make a number ex-directory
Synonyms
  • unlisted

    the standard American English equivalent; means the same thing but is used in the US and understood globally

  • private

    a broader term for anything not shared publicly; 'ex-directory' means withheld from the phone book specifically at the owner's request

Antonyms
  • listed

    appearing in the telephone directory and findable through directory enquiries

Grammar Patterns

ex-directory + number/line

be/stay/make something + ex-directory

Usage Note

British English term. Used almost exclusively for phone numbers that the subscriber has asked to keep private. In American English, 'unlisted' is the direct equivalent and is more widely understood internationally.

Common Mistakes

I have an ex-directory address.
I have an ex-directory phone number.
'ex-directory' only describes phone numbers, not addresses or other personal details.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Ex-directory, unlisted, private, and confidential all involve restricting access to information, but they differ in scope. Ex-directory (British) and unlisted (American) are the narrowest: they mean a phone number withheld from the public directory at the subscriber's request. Private is much broader — it applies to anything not meant for public knowledge, from conversations to meetings to personal thoughts. Confidential goes further still, implying a formal obligation of secrecy, typically in professional or legal contexts: a doctor keeps patient records confidential, but you would not call your home number 'confidential' unless you were a spy. If you tell a friend 'my number is private,' they might think you mean you do not share it casually; if you say 'my number is ex-directory,' they know it cannot be found through directory enquiries.

unlisted ↗private ↗confidential ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • go ex-directory
  • remain ex-directory
  • stay ex-directory

Etymology

English

Formed from the prefix ex- (meaning 'out of' or 'outside') and directory (originally a book listing names and addresses, later specifically a telephone directory). The term emerged in Britain in the mid-20th century as telephone companies began offering subscribers the option to keep their numbers out of the public phone book.

First known use

1936

1936, in the meaning defined above